


Purifying Sunlight

by JeraThurisaz



Category: League of Legends
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-28
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2019-02-08 01:53:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12854208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JeraThurisaz/pseuds/JeraThurisaz
Summary: Lucian is on the hunt for undead to purify by the light of his ancient weapons. In his chase, a trace leads him to Mount Targon and Leona. He won't allow her to interfere, but she is allowed to follow him in these dangerous landscapes. Will he give up his stance of loneliness in face of greater dangers, or will he die alone and find peace?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello readers. My second story, this time more story-driven. There will be violence and some mature scenes.
> 
> Greetz, JeraThurisaz

Chapter One

The hunt on Mount Targon

It was an enjoyable day in Mount Targon, at least for those living there. The sun was blazing down less than usual, the temperatures at just about 35° Celsius. The Rakkor were slowing down their usual tasks and talked more. The life seemed almost peaceful today.

The Solari did not relax, they never did. Their devotion to their sungod did not allow them to do so. There were rituals to be held, heretics to be purged and if nothing else, their own bodies had to be trained. Leona, the Radiant Dawn and shining model of the order, did train. Her body, clad in golden Armor, was sweating from her intense training. After she merged with the Aspect, she lost the ability to sense heat, as she burned inside with power. Some people said that the sun itself burned in her heart, causing her body to emit heat like a stove.

Hours have passed since she started her regimen and hours would have passed before she ended it, if a scout wouldn't have interrupted her. "Solari Leona, there is a stranger coming towards the village of the Rakkor!", he informed her. She stopped right in the swift strike of her sword, not moving for a few heartbeats. "Why would you inform me?", she asked him while standing up straight and turning towards him. "One of the seers sends me. He said you will know the stranger.", the scout informed her before he bowed and turned away. "You are expected at the gate." He left, leaving Leona slightly confused. The seers rarely ordered the Solari, let alone ordering herself, the Radiant Dawn. This intrigued her and she followed the order. She arrived at the gate a few minutes later, where the seer awaited her. "One of your fellow champions is coming.", he said, leaving the salutation, now obviously insulting her. Seer Trastor still resented her, siding with Atreus, on thinking she was a heretic. Leona was polite enough to overlook his behavior, but she couldn't take him seriously anymore. He seemed to have lost his reasoning and was going down a path of self-destruction. She pitied him.

"Who will arrive?", she asked and let her gaze roam over the emptiness in front of the gaze, finding the small and lone figure in the distance. "I was not able to see. I know only of his ties to the Institute of war." Leona gave him a surprised look, but answered nothing. The seers abilities to foresee the future decreased, too. Grabbing her sword and shield tighter, she stepped outside the walls of the village and headed towards the stranger. It took her a few minutes to reach him, but she recognized him a long time before she stopped right in front of him. "Lucian the Purifier." She drove her sword into the ground and leaned her shield against it to fold her arms in front of her chest. Lucian bowed slightly, greeting her with his usual reserved behavior. "Leona.", he answered, letting his hands fall on the two relic-guns that hung on his hips. "What leads you to these harsh lands, Purifier?", she asked, not moving anywhere. She knew that she did not have to fear him, but an encounter with his guns was some no one forgot, as they were very painful to the living, but not lethal. "I am chasing an undead from the Shadow Isles.", he said, shortspoken as always. "Please let me pass and proceed, Leona. I wish you no harm, but I won't let anyone step between me and my prey." The cold determination in his eyes gave all those shivers that met them straight, but Leona was a warrior of the Solari, she feared no human being.

"The mountain is my land, Purifier, don't forget that. The Rakkor rule the mountainside. Even a strong warrior as you would not withstand them." She shook her head while grabbing her sword and shield again. "You need their permission to hunt on Mount Targon. I will escort you to the elder." Her fiery eyes burned into the cold ones of Lucian, causing him to nod. "As you say. Lead me to them." He didn't sound different from before, merely accepting the habits of Mount Targon. He followed her over the plains in front of the village, through the gate and to the back half of it. The small cabins grow slightly higher and longer, leading to a long-house with stone-arches holding up the roof like ribs. The guards bowed when they recognized Leona but hesitated to let Lucian pass. "He is a stranger!", claimed one guard and grabbed the hilt of his sword. "No stranger is allowed into the Hall of Elders!" The other guard grabbed his sword too, but he was more cautious than his comrade. If Leona led a stranger to the Hall of Elders, she had intentions he wouldn't contradict. "Move aside, guard!", Leona commanded with such force in her voice, that the guard immediately stepped back, fear in his eyes. The aspect of sun walked past him like he just disappeared, the man in his swallow-tailed coat following her.

The darkness inside the hall blinded Lucian for a few moments, leaving him somewhat helpless, while Leonas clinking steps moving away from him. Slowly his eyes adjusted to the darkness. A long hall appeared out of the darkness, pits of glowing coal illuminating it slightly. A group of five elderly man and woman sat in the background, staring into the flames. A long curtain separated the last part. The stone-arches were visible inside, interrupting the clay of the outer walls. Lucian captured every detail, every crack in the clay, every bump in the stone, and the place of every pit. His never-ending fight against the undead taught him to pay attention to his surroundings. After he imprinted everything into his mind he strode forwards, following Leona on her way to the group of elders. She bowed respectfully before rising to speak. "I greet you, elders of the Rakkor. This man is Lucian, the Purifier." She raised her hand to point towards him. "He is a hunter and sworn enemy of the undead. One of his targets hides on the mountainside. He seeks your permission to hunt. And I am his warrantor." The elders didn't look away from the fire, but one woman spoke. "Leona, aspect of the sun, Radiant Dawn, leader of the Solari. Your request will be permitted." Her head turned towards Lucian, her blind eyes locking his. "Lucian, the Purifier, dread of the undead. You may hunt your chosen pray." Her eyes went back into the fire, the conversation obviously ended. Lucian turned without a word and left the building without looking back.

Leona thanked the elders and followed Lucian. "Lucian, wait!", she called after leaving the building. He was already heading towards the mountainside but turned to her. "Are there any unsettled matters?", he asked calmly. "Yes, there is one. As your warrantor I will have to accompany you in your quest.", she explained, earning a rising eyebrow of him. "I hunt alone.", he declined and walked towards the mountain again. "My hunt is my matter, and mine only. I know that you will not be in my way, but the times of my hunts with a partner are bygone." The hint of sorrow tinted his voice. "You know it." Leonas eyes saddened, but he was right. "I will not take part in your hunt. But I will be close to you, as it is my duty." She understood him, and he did understand her. His determination to kill the undead was met with her determination to follow the rules of the mountain. "This offer I can accept. Stay out of my reach, and I will not try to lose you." She nodded, waving her sword towards the mountain. "Go hunt, Lucian."

Two weeks had passed and the hunt was coming to a close. Lucian followed his undead foe like a wolf followed its wounded prey. He had encountered the undead a few times, but it always slipped away. Their last encounter left it wounded though, and Lucian wouldn't let it escape again. Leona had followed him all the time, carefully avoiding to interfere. She had no doubt that Lucian would slaughter his target in the beginning, but her faith in his skills or her respect for the monster had changed. He got a blow of the magic of the beast, too, and it slowed him down. His usually swift and accurate shots missed more often. She started to worry. If anything would go against Lucian, she would interfere. She was his warrantor and would not let him die under her protection. The gunshots of Lucians ancient weapons ripped her out of her thoughts and she climbed to a higher vantage point. She climbed on the edge of a valley, lights blazing below her. Lucian or the undead monster had chosen this valley as their last arena. Their silhouettes were as small as puppets down there, the undead slightly larger than Lucian. Close up, the beast towered above Lucian, two or more heads taller, but Lucian had the range advantage. His Piercing Light keeping it from landing any more blows to him. They went on for minutes, the beast jumping from cover to cover, Lucian firing at any motion he could see. Numerous trees had been cut down by the bright light, their stumps smoldering in the cold mountain air. From her point of view Leona could see the fight slowly changing in favor of the beast. It gained the height advantage while Lucian seemed to have lost all composure. He fired his Culling, not even aiming properly anymore. The boulder the beast used as cover started to melt, but it didn't plan to stay behind it anymore. It climbed up, reaching the top of it. Faster than Lucian was able to react it jumped high into the air and crashed down onto him. The force of the impact created a crater, its body covering Lucians, but the glow of his guns was still evident below it's broad body.

Leona cried out, angry at herself for being so distracted by the fight. In the blink of an eye her sword stabbed towards the mountain, calling down the power of the sun. The Solar Flare smashed on top of the beast, smoldering the skin from the undead muscles. It screamed in pain and flung itself away from the sunlight. Just as fast as it reacted to the burning light it recovered, swinging its head to either side, searching the source of its pain. Leona jumped down the slope of the valley, her armor shining with the power of the aspect within her. She readied herself to charge in with the Zenith Blade, but the beast fled as soon as it recognized her.

Leona ran towards Lucian and dropped to her knees. He was unconscious, but alive. She examined him carefully, recognizing broken bones everywhere in his body. If she didn't bring him to the closest temple of the Solari he would die. She took up his bright glowing weapons and secured them in the holster at his hips. It seemed odd to her that they still glowed with Lucian unconscious. They always went dark if they left his hands, but she assumed it was a reaction to the nearby undead. After they were secured, she lifted his body with ease and headed towards the closest temple. It would take her a few hours to reach.

Lucian tried to turn around. His back hurt, like he had laid for too long. His consciousness slowly returned to him, which caused him to gasp. With his mind, the pain came, too. Every muscle in his body felt like it was ripped apart and his breath filled his lungs with fire. He moaned in pain and stopped his motion. "You shouldn't move.", said an unfamiliar voice behind him. Her steps circled around him, but he couldn't move his head towards her. He opened his eyes to see her as she moved into his field of view. The woman wore a traditional solarian outfit, her kind eyes swept over his body. "You are not healed yet. Your body still fights the poison of your undead enemy, as well as healing the broken bones and smashed muscles." She examined the bandages and casts around his body. Still dizzy from the pain, he tried to figure our where he was. His restricted movability prevented him from seeing more than the ceiling, so he had to turn his eyes towards the female Solari. "Where am I?", he asked. "You are in a solarian temple, brought here by Miss Leona." The woman replaced a few of the bandages without looking at his face. "She will see to you immediately, if you wish for it." She finished her work and caught his eye. "Shall I call her?" Lucian grinned in pain, then he closed his eyes. "Yes. I'd like to talk to her." The healer nodded and left the room without another word. Her footsteps faded away in the distance, while Lucian, against his intention, faded into sleep again.

Leona entered the room, dressed in the solarian functional dark-yellow cloth they wore under their armor. A short skirt, sandals and a shirt. The heat of their homeland didn't allow any more fabric, it only protected from the heated metal of their armor. When she noticed Lucians sleep she took a stool and sat down next to him without waking him up. She remembered his broken body. She monitored his surgery, horrified by his wounds. Several ribs were broken, one almost pierced his lungs, his left arm was broken as well, every part of his skin covered in almost black bruises. The surgeon and his team had to work for almost ten hours to restore Lucians body to a stable state. They kept him asleep for a full week afterwards, strapping him to the stone slab he was laying on top of now. Every movement of his could have reopened the wounds. After this week they changed his medication, discontinuing the sleep medicaments, but continuing the painkillers. They fed him with a liquid diet all the time, keeping his nutrition at a healthy level. Nothing else was to do, so they waited, until he woke up three days later, while the nurse tended to his wounds. Now, they'd have to ask him what he wanted next, but Leona was pretty sure he would leave as soon as he could walk, no matter his overall shape.

"Leona.", he spoke after a few minutes of waiting time. She had not moved at all, but she guessed that he could feel her presence after all the battles on the Rift. "Lucian. How do you feel?" "Bad.", he answered, but she could not hear any of the pain in his voice. It was as steady and calm as always. "Why am I here?", he asked, a hint of anger in his voice. "The beast you fought defeated you. I had to interrupt the fight and save you from death, but your wounds were grievous. I brought you here to get you healed." She stood up and stepped close to the stone slab so he could see her face. "Do you have an issue with my action?" "I do, and you know it. I told you to NOT interrupt my hunt, yet you intervened. You denied me a meaningful death in fight." The sorrow was evident in his voice. "If I am not able to cleanse all undead, I shall die by their hands, for my life would not have any worth anymore. There is no room for other in my life, and there is no need for rescuers." He had to cough, his raised voice was still too much for his wounded body. "I should have died there, in honor of Senna." His voice was a mere whisper when he spoke of his late wife. Leona shook her head. "I could not have allowed you to die in that valley, Lucian. You are under my protection as long as you roam these lands. If you wish to die, throw yourself off a cliff, but every monster that defeats you will be defeated by me, before you will die. There is no exception to the rules of the Rakkor." Her burning eyes locked his. "And your wife wouldn't have wanted you to seek death by the undead. She wouldn't have fought a foe she couldn't kill alone, would she? She would have gotten help, she did not seek a meaningless death." "What do you know about her! Do not talk about Senna!", Lucian interrupted, burning anger in his eyes. "Only I know, what Senna would have wanted me to do! But she is dead, nobody can ask her anymore! It does not matter, I will not see her again. Not even in death. But in death I will perish and find peace." He spoke low and closed his eyes, overcome by grief.

"I heard the tales of Senna and you, Lucian. I know of her determination, and I know of your kind heart, burned by grief and hate. You went down a path of revenge, and I respect that. But not only you knew Senna. She was a widely respected woman, even up here at Mount Targon. She wanted to purge every undead, but she did not want to die by their hands. You should take up her determination to live, too. Not only the determination to purge." Leona stepped back again. "But it is your decision. I will leave now, if you need anything, call. Someone will be close. As soon as you feel well enough, you may leave." With those words, she left, leaving him with his physical and mental pain.

Two more weeks passed until Lucian was fit enough to stand alone. The solarian healers tended well to him, but he never spoke the whole two weeks. They respected his choice, but did tell him some news once in a while. Sometimes about skirmishes between Demacia and Noxus, about their tribe or just some stories about his fellow Champions. None of it was of any interest to him, but they didn't seem to care. Now, Lucian wanted to leave again, restored enough to walk. He sent a Solari to Leona, to inform her of his plans. Just after he finished dressing himself, she walked into the chamber. "Do you want to leave immediately?", she asked, giving his slightly bend posture a critical look. "I do.", he responded, straightening up. "Follow me, then.", the Solari told him. They walked through the stone corridors into another chamber. Spears and shields were stored in neatly organized racks, some other weapons like swords and mazes stored on a separate rack at the back, Lucians relic-weapons laid on top of the rack. He immediately walked to the rack, puzzled by their changed appearance. "What happened to them?", he asked Leona. They shouldn't have been glowing while they were separated from him, especially not in such a yellow light. He knew that their light turned orange after some shots, but not in their resting state. He grabbed them, while Leona spoke. "I don't know. They kept glowing after I hit the beast with my Solar Flare while it laid on top of you." He examined them closer, but couldn't see any damage dealt to them. "That is … puzzling.", he said, more to himself then to her. "Pray that they still work properly."

Lucian went straight away from the temple buildings until he thought the distance was safe for him to try out his guns again. Leona watched him carefully, standing right beside him. "Let's see …" He fired one of his guns, analyzing every detail of the shot. His weapon reacted regularly, but the light-projectile was different. It had grown slightly in shape and moved faster than before. Its color had turned yellow as well, but the impact was the most interesting thing. The rock he had selected as target was no glowing, too. Usually, his shots exploded holes into the objects they hit, but there was no hole evident in the stone surface. Only a spot of molten stone. "Well, it still works, good for you. But the changes … I'll see how they affect my efficiency." He took a stable stance and held the weapons in front of himself. His eyes jumped through the obstacles which could be used as targets, then he unleashed hell. The frequency of his shots rising fast, several per second. Leona had to squint her eyes, blinded by the bright lights. Lucian on the other hand had is eyes wide open, following every single shot. After the first 10 or 20, their new attributes were fading away, the yellow color disappearing and the strength and pace returning to the state Lucian was used to. "Good to know.", he mumbled, cutting of the stream of projectiles after another couple of shots. "They seem to absorb your sunlight.", he said, turning towards Lucian. "This may qualify you for this hunt, but this hunt alone." He spun his weapons arounds his fingers before pushing them into their holsters. "You may stay close to me, but you still have to refrain yourself from actively engaging the prey. He is mine."

The two warriors reached the place of Lucians defeat the next day. As he was still slowed down by his wounds, Lucian had to take several breaks during their way. After they reached the valley, his vigor got renewed. He saw the burned spot on the ground, the silhouette of his foe left unburned. His resolve to kill the monster grew again, causing him to take up its track immediately. Leona shook her head, but followed without any objection. They had enough food for two weeks and could hunt the animals living around the woods, so she felt safe letting him lead the hunt. She did force him to take a few breaks, though, since he would force himself above his limits again without her. And so the hunt went on, leading them higher up the mountain. After two weeks they found the undead monster again. It was hiding in a cave system, wounded. Unlike Lucian, whose body was almost fully restored now, it was unable to heal, giving the pair of hunters the edge to kill it.

Lucian went into the caves first, both his guns in his hands. The white light illuminated the walls of the tunnels and caverns, giving live to dancing shadows. Leona behind him used the inner glow of her equipment so see. It took them mere minutes to find the monsters hiding spot, but it had sensed them before, running deeper into the caves. Leona felt uncomfortable, as the caverns lead deeper into the mountain, and slightly down. She knew every story of Mount Targon, and caverns inside the mountain had only the grimmest of tales to tell. "Be careful, Lucian, I do not know these caverns. There might be greater dangers than the undead one." Lucian nodded and slowed down his pace. The guns glow brightened as well as the one of Leonas equipment. They followed the trail of the monster and found it a few minutes later. It stood in a larger cavern, but even though there was another tunnel leading away from its hunters, it didn't flee any further. Lucian observed the walls thoroughly, but couldn't find proof of any trap. He gave Leona a puzzled grim, but stepped out of the corridor into the open. The beast looked at him and howled quietly, before starting to charge him in a straight line. Lucian opened fire instantly, but the beast didn't dodge away. It took every shot directly and tried to reach him, but it was defeated after a few shots. Its smoldering remains dropped to the ground. "What happened?", Leona asked curiously. It seemed odd to her that the beast suicided like this. "I am not sure. But it feared something, most likely. Undead like this only act by instinct, it has no humanoid brain. Which means that there is something stronger down that tunnel." He pointed to the other entrance. "Which I will investigate."

"You shouldn't.", said Leona quietly, her voice serious with concern. "This monster was strong enough to defeat you. Anything that it feared should be feared by you as well, especially if it's in Mount Targon. You know neither this place nor its monsters, take my advice on it. Descending into Targon is suicide." She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him away, but he shook her off. "I will not fight anything I don't know, I am not as hot-headed as that. But if there is something that has to be purified, I will not step away. And I have to assume there are undead down there, as undead fear the fewest of living creatures." His gaze met hers. "If you do not want to follow me, I won't say anything. But you can't keep me from seeking every undead in these caverns." The Purifier turned away from the Radiant Dawn and paced towards the dark corridor. Leona watched him as he left, but hesitated to move. Even as a Solari, she didn't want to face what lived inside the mountain, or maybe because she was one. Her remorse fought with her survival instinct, but in the end, she walked on the path of honor and couldn't let Lucian leave alone. "Wait!", she shouted, starting to follow him. He stopped, waiting for her, but didn't turn around. After she reached him, she gave him an angry glance. "From now on, you will do as I say. If I tell you to run, you will run, no matter what enemy awaits us." He met her gaze, but didn't answer for a couple of minutes. "I will see.", he answered and tried to move past her, but her sword blocked his way. "You will follow me, from now on. I repeat, YOU will follow ME, not the other way around." Her blade started to shine with the light of a dawning sun. "You will follow my commands, and you will follow them immediately. Do you understand?" He squinted his eye to see her face behind the shining sword.

"You are not someone I take orders from.", he answered again, grabbing his guns. Before he could move anymore, her shield hit him in the chest, hurling him back a few meters and stunning him. "You will either take orders from me or you will be removed from the lands of the Rakkor and not return to the lands of Mount Targon again.", she said, stepping closer to him. "Chose wisely, Purifier." The anger in her voice and the bright glow of her weapons impressed him. Without the limitations of the Institute of war, her full power was let loose now. He understood why people spoke of her like of a goddess. "Under these circumstances I will surrender myself to your will.", he said, a hint of awe in his voice. Leona stood above him for a few more heartbeats, then she sheathed her sword and gave him her hand to help him up. "I do not wish to command you more than absolutely necessary, Lucian. But I need to be sure that you will follow me. The creatures of Targons mist are something you have not faced yet, but I have. Your weapons may not even have any effect to them." She turned towards the entrance again. "Stay close to me and have your guns ready. I suppose there will be more than enough … things … living down here for you to shoot." Together, they stepped through the entrance, entering a new world.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
Below The Mountain  
The tunnel slowly turned into a sculptured hallway, the craftmanship evolving more and more into true art. They walked mere minutes into the dimly lit corridors, but they felt like it was hours. The rapidly changing surroundings concerned Leona, she never would have guessed that the beings below the mountain would be able to craft ornaments like those she saw on the walls now. “How can this exist?”, she asked herself silently, only a whisper, but it ringed like the toll of a bell through the corridor. The tunnel was created to reinforce any sound made, even their footsteps, which Leona just now realized. Even if she had planned to sneak into the lair of whatever dwelled in the depths, she had failed miserably. Lucian on the other hand never intended to sneak around and had his glowing weapons in hands. “It can exist by magic and skill.”, Lucian answered dryly, giving her a glance from the corners of his eyes. “I feel different magics ahead of us, but they do not feel like undead monsters.” He watched the path they were going and saw an exit emerging, filled with light. “But whoever or whatever crafted this is most likely waiting behind that exit.” He grabbed his guns firmer and angled his arm to be able to shoot in an instant. Leona followed his example and readied her weapons. Faint sounds were becoming audible, but none of the two were able to distinguish anything.   
“There are creatures coming.” The tunnel-keeper bowed low before the captain of the Order of Azurite. Even though the Order of Malachite was respected for monitoring the borders of the Hollow, the never made a secret about their lacking strength in fight, which meant they treated the battle-tested clansmen of the Azurite highly. “Thank you. Five clansmen will accompany you and receive the intruders.” The captain nodded him to leave. Travo’Azus tone was neutral, neither contempt nor respect shown. The Order of Azurite only stood behind the Order of Diamond, whose members were powerful enchanters and sorcerers. And they knew their rank in the hierarchy in the Hollow. “Team Tratton, 5 members will follow the Malachitian to the intruders!”, her ordered. Sending five members was a standard procedure, although a team consisted of 10 clansmen. Well trained as they were, the team immediately split into two groups. The clansmen stepped out of the barracks and followed the smaller tunnel-keeper towards the entrance to the Hollow. They took position semi-circled around the exit and lowered their spears.  
Lucians keen eyes recognized individual bodies a few seconds before Leona could and gripped the handle of his weapons. He nodded towards Leona, who readied her own weapons in response. The adjusted their movement speed to the time it took their eyes to adapt to the brightness of the tunnel exit. Lucian opened his mouth to say something but remembered the reinforcing properties of his surroundings. Instead he gave Leona another nod, but she shook her head. Instead of taking a battle-stance she took the lead and only raised her shield. She stopped about two meters on front of the sharp spearpoints and spoke. “I am Leona, the Radiant Dawn of the Order of the Solari, and I do not mean you any harm. Her voice was firm and full of confidence, but the creatures in front of them only stepped forward until the spears touched Leonas raised shield. “You are one of our eternal enemies, human!” The deep voice came from the creature in the middle, a tall scaled monster. It had to stand at about two and a half meters and had muscles reminding Lucian of Dr Mundo. The pure white eyes showed no feeling, but the tensed muscles showed enough threat. “You and your kin should be purged from the surface.” The spear-tip scratched of the surface of the shield without a trace, but moved towards Leonas face. Lucian aimed his weapons at the beasts head, but Leona shook her head again. “I know that you are children of the mist, but today you are not my enemy. Today I am a mere bystander of the hunt of the man behind me.” She pointed her head towards Lucian. “If I am not allowed to enter this realm, I will wait here.” In response to her words the creature let loose a low growl which vibrated in Lucians ribcage. “You do not understand, Solari!” He spat the word out like rotten food. “You are not allowed to live!” He pierced his spear forward, but Leona was faster. Her sword cut though the heavy wood shaft like it was paper, fast enough for her sword to be a mere arc of sunlight. Lucian tried to shoot it, but her sword moved again and slammed his projectile into the ceiling. He raised an eyebrow but understood. He sheathed his weapons and waited.  
Leona charged the Eclipse, starting to glow. Her enemies squinted their eyes, but surprised her. The spears attacked in almost complete unison, pointing at her from four different directions. But just like she had cut through the first spear, the others were no obstacle to her blade. Another arc of light appeared in front of her and the ring of steel hitting stone was audible. As soon as the creatures noticed the lower weight of their weapons they let them fall, gripping the swords on their hips and pulled the shield from their backs. “You are fast.” The leader acknowledged her. “But you can not win alone!” He closed the distance between them with one step and smashed his sword down onto her. Her shield met the blead and Leona looked into his pale eyes. If she finished him off, she may get the chance to talk again. She bounced his word to the side and buried the hilt of her sword in the region were the stomach should be. He moaned, but his shield struck down towards her arm. She adjusted her sword and deflected his strike to the side. He jumped back in a fluid motion, but was to slow. Leonas Eclipse exploded, the wave of sunlight hit him. He failed the landing and went down to his knee. Leona took the chance to pull herself to him with her Zenith Blade. Her shield hit him straight into forehead, sending him down to the ground unconscious. Seeing their captain defeated made the rest of the creatures insecure. They still circled her, but didn’t attack her anymore. She raised her voice again. “I wish you no harm! Today I am ready to have a truce with the creatures of the mist. We simply want to pass your realm and hunt other enemies!” She still held her weapons ready, but did not move. “Please tell this your leaders. As a sign of my honesty I didn’t kill this combatant. I just knocked him out.” She took a step back for another creature to examine the downed warrior. It nodded to the other. “Alright, Solari. We will send for a Veteran.”, it said, pointing towards a sixth creature standing nearby.   
“What is it?”, Travo’Azu asked the tunnel-keeper after it approached him again. “The intruders … one is a Solari! And she demands a truce!” He nervously kneaded his hands. “It knocked out Tragot’Azu!” Travo’Azu had already taken his weapon and hurried towards the door of the barrack. “Lead me!”, he ordered and waved the rest of team Tratton to follow him. They took their weapons as well and ran after him. “What happened?”, he asked on the way. “She exploded in light and when I was able to see again … Tragot’Azu was laying on the ground … She is incredibly fast!” The Malachitian was obviously intimitaded by the intruder. That was not the best sign, as though they were bad fighters, they were no cowards. As soon as the Veteran saw the Solari he realized why.  
“Leona.” His voice was cold, his body tensed. The head of the Solari had entered the Hollow and only knocked out one clansmen? That was more then unusual. She shouldn’t even be here, no clan of the Mountain ever entered the caves. And even more important, Solari killed the creature of the mist on sight, they never left them alive. “What are you doing in the mountain? This is not your realm to wander.” She nodded. “You are right, creature.” Her voice didn’t show the usual hate of the Solari towards his kind. “I did not go into the caves myself. I am following this man.” She pointed to a dark-skinned man in a swallow-tailed coat. Two gun-like weapons hung on his hips. “He hunts undead being and senses a great foe underneath. We came to release it of it’s curse and give it eternal rest.” The man grimaced at her words, but nodded nonetheless. “I am not here to hunt any of your kind, just how I told your subordinates.” She pointed the tip of her sword to the unconscious body at the side of the entrance. “You can see that I did not kill it. Take this as my offer for a truce while I move through your realm.” Her eyes met Travo’Azus. He wasn’t able to tell if she looked honest or not, as the human faces were mostly unknown to the creatures of the mist, but he nodded. “I do not believe you, Leona of the Solari. But the Clanleader will decide in this matter. Blindfold them! They will be brought to Trabror’Azu!” He waved towards his team, who followed his command at once and covered Leonas and Lucians heads in cloth.  
“Relieve them of their coverings.” A deep voice spoke with heavy accent, the words almost unintelligibly. Lucians cloth was ripped from his head, the bright light he could see through it blinding him now. He groaned and closed his eyes. He turned his face down towards the ground and waited a few moments until he opened his eyes. His head rose slowly to search for the source of the deep voice. The humanoid sitting in front of him and Leona seemed as the best choice to him, but the creature didn’t speak again. Instead it studied him and Leona like exhibits in a museum. The weapons of him and Leona laid to the feet of it, neatly arranged. Lucians eyes moved further, studying more of the room they were in. The humanoid was sitting on a throne-like chair made of wood Lucian had never seen before. The grain shimmered metallic while the wood itself was almost black. The floor it stood on was smooth granite with a few steps leading up to a small door of douglas fir. The walls were firmly joint stone bricks, the tiled roof rested on long squared timber. Creatures lined up at the walls, Lucian counted two on each side but assumed further outside of his field of view. His gaze returned to the sitting creature. It wore a fabric, unlike the other ones clad in leather. Pants covered its legs, while a vest covered the upper body. The muscle-packed arms were left free. “Leona, leader of the Solari, you invaded our sanctuary. As you may understand, this is something we cannot tolerate. You and your kin are the archenemies of our kind and we have to act according to it. Yet you request a truce and safe conduct for the hunter and yourself. I have to say that I am impressed as well as dumbfounded by that, though I know you couldn’t have known what awaited you below the mountain. But the Azurite honor strength and a strong will; You are given one chance to fight for trespassing the Hollow safely. You endure a three-round-fight against me, without weapons and armor!” The creature rose to it’s feet and waved its clawed hand towards the guards. “Move them to the arena and free Leona. Remove her armor. I will follow you.”  
Strong hands grabbed Leona and pulled her to her feet, while her head was covered again. Her hands were still bound behind her back, rendering her defenseless except for her magic. But she knew the futility of a breakout in this situation, so she merely followed the orders of her captures. She was guided through several tunnels and caverns, which where only distinguishable through the changing echo. After a few minutes the cloth was taken from her head, revealing a small locker room. “Strip your armor!” Leona turned around and had to lean back to see the head of her assigned guard. He had to stand at over two meters and was covered in fur. The burning gaze made her shiver, but she shook her head and regained her posture. She stepped backwards and nodded, grabbing the leather strips that held her armor to her body. She started with her arms, followed by the chest plate and the metal-plated skirt. After she had taken off the boots and greaves she straightened and arranged her hair. “I am ready.” She had only her tunic left, that covered her upper body and two thirds of her thighs. Her guard nodded and turned around. “You armor will remain untouched until the fight is over.” His voice told Leona that he left something untold, but she knew it anyway. Either she returned to collect her items or she was dead. It didn’t concern her too much, she had faith in herself and the deity inside her. Her guard let her through a short tunnel and into a room with gates on both entrances. He closed the gate behind her and pointed towards the other one. “The fight lies ahead.” He vanished into the shadows of the tunnel while the second gate opened slowly. The Solari took the opportunity to meditate. She concentrated on the inhuman facet of herself and drew strength from it. Unlike Pantheon, the aspect of Targon inside her was a symbiont and lend her its strength. Her body felt stronger and the exhaustion was swept away by the surge of power. Her eyes gleamed in a faint golden light, which was covered by the light falling in from the now open gate. A roar of dozens of throats greeted her.  
“Leona, the Radiant Dawn!”, the voice of an announcer blasted through the arena and another roar ran through the spectators, clearly against her. Her gaze swept over the echelons that surrounded the oval-shaped pit that made up the arena. It was about twenty by fifteen meters in diameter, enclosed by stonewalls of about four meters in height. There had to be almost a hundred creatures watching her and obviously wishing her death. On the opposite side of the pit was a second opened gate and the Clanleader in front of it. “This is a fight to death! If the Radiant Dawn wins, she achieved safe transit through the Hollow!” The spectators screamed insults. “If Clanleader Trabror’Azu wins …” The announcer left a dramatic pause while the crowd already went wild. “He will lead a campaign against the Rakkor!” The ecstasy was indescribable. Leona smiled a fierce smiled and walked towards her opponent. He was busy firing up the crowd, spreading his arm and slowly spinning to watch everyone in the eyes. As he finished his turn he took on a serious look and met her in the middle of the pit. “You will die today.” He took a low combat stance and awaited her attack. “Don’t be too sure.” Leonas voice was filled with an otherworldly undertone and she smiled again. Without any warning her leg shot towards him. But he hadn’t become a Clanleader without any skill, but the strength of the kick pushed him back a few steps. He had no time to recover, as Leona leaped after him and her fists came in a flurry. Leonas mind went blank, the reflexes sharpened in thousands of hours of training took over her body. Kick, strike, another kick, a headbutt. The attacks came fast enough to push her enemy closer and closer to the wall, but he adjusted his retreat and lead her into a circular path. The crowd was sheering towards him and slowly his retreat came to an end. “You are strong, Solari. But you depend on your gear!” He deflected another blow from Leona and took the offensive. His strength was equal to that of Doctor Mundo, but he was far from being as bulked up as the Doctor, which surprised Leona quite a bit. The first few strikes caught her off-guard and commanded her to retreat to the middle of the pit. Just as she got a stable position he changed his attacks, swapping from strikes to low kicks. Her skills saved her from falling over, but she recognized him as a greater threat than she had expected. She paid closer attention to his foot-work and found s small windows for a counter. The toes of the opposing foot of his next kick dug slightly into the ground before he actually moved. She anticipated the next kick and met it with her own shin before jumping and kicking him in his face. He was able to catch a fraction of the force by throwing himself backwards but was still dizzy. Just as Leona went in for the final punch an ear-rippling horn rang through the arena.  
“The first round is over! And our beloved Clanleader got beaten up quite badly! But as we know him, the second round will be more interesting, won’t it?” The crowd sheered to the words of the announcer and Leona knit her brows. She took a few steps out of the middle and observed Trabror’Azu. He had to have something up his sleeve, but what could it be? He just wiped the sweat out of his face and straightened, no other creature entered the arena to bring him anything. His arms spread to the sides again, the crowd was frantic again. But as he took his combat stance she noticed the claws at the fingertips. So that was his secret weapon. “That seems … a bit unfair, doesn’t it?”, Leona asked with a raised voice, but only Trabror was able to hear it. “No weapons, Leona, only our bodies. Mine is just better suited for fighting than yours.” A mischievous smile went of his face as he started to run towards Leona. The toll of a bell rang through the arena again, apparently there was a specific timing between rounds. Leona took a defensive stance and awaited the attack. Just before the creature reached her he jumped up, closing the distance of a few meters between them in the blink of an eye. Leona was forced into a roll to dodge the weight of his body. His landing was heavy, his claws dug into the sand. By the splashing of it he had to be about a hundred and fifty kilograms heavy, more than his sight suggested. He never came up properly but went into a roll towards her instead. His legs lashed out, bringing him up to his feet. He used the momentum to jump again, but Leona had already retreated further. “Don’t run!”, he roared and started to run. This time he went lower, his claws separated the sand as he closed the distance. Leona didn’t move at all, but he simply continued without questioning her choice. As he threw himself forwards she took the chance and jumped herself. Her left foot found his forehead and used it as a stepping stone to propel her even higher. His face was forced into the sand by the sudden change of balance while Leona levitated seemingly weightless through the air. Her landing was light-footed and graceful, unlike his. His momentum carried him a few meters through the sand, the crowd moaning in awe. The Clanleader had never been humiliated like that. He slammed his fist into the sand to stand up again, but instead of seeing anger or hate Leona saw respect and joy in his eyes. He bowed his head slightly, before coming at her again. His fighting style resembled that of a bull, but Leona didn’t trust these first few attacks, as he had proved to be versatile. She met his onslaught head-on and he jumped high up into the air again, but as Leona tried to dodge to the side her threw himself in an impossible angle around and caught her shoulder with his claws. Her tunic-strip ripped in half and her skin got cleaved, but it was just a flesh-wound. It would handicap her, but not to a point of instantly losing her the fight. As Trabror landed at her side, her foot shot up and caught him at his chin. The momentum of his fall as well as her strength snapped his head back and he crushed into the sand. Leona took a few steps back and observed his laying body. He still breathed, but she wasn’t sure if she actually knocked him out. Before she was able to assure herself the gong rang again. She just now realized the silence that had fallen on the arena. Even the announcer seemed to be speechless.   
The Solari straightened and walked towards her opponent, kneeling down besides him. She rolled him around and had to oppress to twitch back as she saw his opened eyes. “I honor your strength, Leona.”, he said before coming to his feet again. He almost faltered, but was able to stand. “But you have not won this fight yet.” He clearly was in no fighting condition anymore, but was just as clearly not ready to hand her the victory. Leona shook her head but accepted his decision. She closed her eyes and didn’t move before the gong rang for the third round. She heard him running again, but his steps were uneven and heavy. The time he took to reach her was more than enough for her to channel Eclipse. Exactly when he jumped up again Leona released the power of Eclipse, the wave of sunlight hit him in mid-air. Trabror got knocked backwards, Leona slammed her hand forwards and another beam of sunlight emitted from it. As it reached Trabror Leona pulled herself to him, grabbing his head and slamming it with all her force into the ground. His body overturned itself before it came to a halt in the sand, Trabrors bleeding face facing the ceiling of the cavern. Leona kneeled down and tried to find his heartbeat, but his anatomy had to be quite different to that of humans, at least that was what Leona hoped for. She heard the gate opening and took a few steps away from her downed opponent. “I won!”, she announced.  
A few hours later Leona and Lucian stood in front of the throne-like chair and waited. Leona had been brought back to the locker room and had dressed herself in her armor again. Lucians and her weapons still laid in front of the chair. After what felt like an hour Trabror’Azu entered through the door behind the chair. He walked up in silence and sat down. After another few minutes he started to talk. “You knocked me out, but spared my life, even though it was a fight to death. Which would mean that neither of us won, the both of being alive was never the intention. But I see the unspoken. Our mortal enemy left me alive, so I will leave her alive as well. You may pass through the hollow, but captain Travo’Azu and his team will escort you. His orders will be followed immediately and without questions.” His hand waved towards their weapons. “You may take these now, but they have to stay ensheathed at every time.” Leonas and Lucians shackles were removed, but neither of them started to move. Travo’Azu could understand, they wouldn’t trust the creatures of the mist as easily. The Clanleader understood as well and took Leonas shield. He examined it shortly before he stood up and approached her. “The Order of Azurite honors the battle, the arena is our holy ground. Every fight fought there is fought under the protection of the mist and is viewed as holy judgement. You should realize what it means to fight under the eyes of ones gods.” He held the shield at the tip, upside down. She looked into his eyes and nodded reluctantly. Her arm slid into the leather strips and gripped the handle. Her face had a relieved expression. She then walked around Trabror’Azu and picked up her sword. It vanished into its sheath before Leona attached the shield to a mount on her back. She took Lucians weapons as well and handed them to him. He slid them into their holsters and turned towards the door, as silent as ever. The clansmen of team Tratton formed a guard of honour for him to pass through as he walked towards the exit. Leona nodded towards the captain and followed him, Travo’Azu close behind her.  
“Where do you wish to go?”, Travo’Azu asked after they left the hall of the Clanleader. The cave that the hall was located in was brightly lit by what seemed glowing stone and torches to Leona and she stood in awe for a few moments. The walls and ceiling were polished to a degree that it could be used as a mirror, which made it look enormous. Lucian stood in front of her, equally awestruck, but he hid it better. “This is … beautiful …”, Leona whispered and turned to Travo’Azu. “Did your kin build this?”, she asked with a slightly trembling voice. His chest swelled with pride as he nodded. “Yes! Our ancestors found only rough caverns down here, but as more and more creatures of the mist survived your attacks they started to improve their quarters. Over the course of hundreds of years the Hollow arose, the pride of all of us!” His eyes gleamed in pride and joy as he told the short story. “This is the talent of the Order of Obsidian, the most skilled stone cutters in existence. You will see more of their work as we progress. Which I will ask again now, where do you want to go?” Leona looked towards Lucian. “Where do you feel the undead?”, she asked. “Below.”, was the answer, short and precise. He didn’t even turn around to face her. She shrugged her shoulders and waved her hand in a cast-away motion. “That is the best direction I can give you.”, she said in an apologetic tone. “He does not speak much.” Travo’Azu nodded, he had seen the grim warrior in Lucian the first time they met. Follow me then. Team Tratton! Square formation!” The nine clansmen took formation, four of them walking behind Lucian and Leona, two on each side and one in front. Travo’Azu walked between them. “Let’s go.”


End file.
